Post 9/11 Veterans Call on House To Pass Clay Hunt SAV Act Today

Washington, D.C. (December 9, 2014) – Today, the House is scheduled to take up critical legislation that will combat veteran suicide and improve access to mental health care. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is urging members of Congress to stand with our veterans by passing the bipartisan Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act (H.R. 5059). The bill, spearheaded by IAVA, is named after Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran Clay Hunt, a Marine who died by suicide in 2011.

“Having experienced loss ourselves, Richard and I don’t want to see any other family member or close friend lose a veteran to suicide,” said Susan Selke, mother of Clay Hunt. “Members of Congress must support our veterans and pass this bill. Veterans should not have to cut through red tape to get the care they earned when putting on the uniform. We urge the House to move quickly and vote for passage as 22 veterans die by suicide each day.”

“Providing mental health care for our veterans should not be a political fight,” said IAVA CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff. “After a year of effort, it all comes down to today. We encourage the House to stand up with our nation’s vets and pass this much-needed legislation today. As it goes to the House floor, we urge every Representative to sign on as a co-sponsor and show that they have veterans’ backs. It’s time to stand up and be counted.”

House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller [R-FL-1] and Reps. Tim Walz [D-MN-1] and Tammy Duckworth [D-IL-8] introduced the bill in July. A complete list of the co-sponsors can be found here:

"Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America...remains the most important organization representing the new generation of veterans." - TIME Magazine

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is the premier veterans advocacy and support organization on the planet. Founded by an Iraq veteran in 2004, IAVA is the non-partisan leader in advocacy, public awareness, and 1-on-1 case management support. Our mission is to connect, unite, and empower over 425,000 veterans and allies nationwide. We have connected more than 1.2 million veterans with resources and community, and provided thousands of veterans of all generations with life-saving and life-changing personalized support from our Masters-level social service professionals.